CVE-2026-42923
5.3 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2026-42923 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting nlnetlabs unbound. It was published on May 20, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3, rated MEDIUM. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
NLnet Labs Unbound up to and including version 1.25.0 has a vulnerability in the DNSSEC validator where the code path to consult the negative cache for DS records does not take into account the limit on NSEC3 hash calculations introduced in 1.19.1. This leads to degradation of service during the attack. An adversary that controls a DNSSEC signed zone can exploit this by signing NSEC3 records with acceptably high iterations for child delegations and querying a vulnerable Unbound. Unbound will keep performing the allowed hash calculations on the NSEC3 records and will not limit the work by the mitigation introduced in 1.19.1. As a side effect, a global lock for the negative cache will be held for the duration of the hashing, blocking other threads that need to consult the negative cache. Coordinated attacks could raise the vulnerability to denial of service. Unbound 1.25.1 contains a patch with a fix to bound the vulnerable code path with the existing limit for NSEC3 hash calculations.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from nlnetlabs. Update unbound to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| nlnetlabs | unbound | >= 1.19.1, < 1.25.1 | Affected |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-42923?
CVE-2026-42923 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting nlnetlabs unbound. It was published on May 20, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2026-42923?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3, rated MEDIUM. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-42923?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from nlnetlabs. Update unbound to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-42923?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2026-42923 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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